A massive 15-foot bronze statue of Donald Trump, covered in gold leaf, now sits on a 7,000-pound base at one of Trump’s golf resorts. It’s been nicknamed “Don Colossus,” and while it looks like a tribute, it’s really tied to one of the strangest crypto stories in recent years.
According to the New York Times, the statue is the centerpiece of a failed memecoin project called PATRIOT—a cryptocurrency that launched with big hype, big promises, and a very fast collapse.
The statue itself was paid for by crypto investors, who spent around $300,000 to have it made as a tribute to Trump. Once it was underway, it became the main marketing tool for PATRIOT, a meme-based coin built almost entirely on MAGA branding and speculation, with no real use beyond trading.
When the coin launched in late 2024, prices jumped briefly. This came at a time when Trump was talking openly about turning the U.S. into the “crypto capital of the world,” which fueled excitement. But the buzz didn’t last. Within months, PATRIOT lost more than 90% of its value.
Behind the scenes, the project was falling apart. There were delays, arguments among investors, and growing frustration as the coin sank. The statue, which was supposed to be revealed in a big public event, instead became a symbol of how risky and chaotic memecoin projects can be.
Things got even messier when the sculptor, Alan Cottrill from Ohio, said he was still owed $75,000 for intellectual property rights. He claimed the statue design was being used for marketing without full payment and threatened to hold it back until the issue was resolved. The dispute caused more delays and tension, even as construction continued.
Despite all that, a large concrete and stainless-steel pedestal was installed at Trump’s Doral golf resort in January 2026, signaling the project wasn’t dead yet.
The people behind PATRIOT—made up of crypto developers and right-wing activists—kept pushing forward. They used social media to promote images of the towering gold statue, hoping viral attention might revive interest in the coin.
The situation became even more awkward when Trump launched his own official crypto token shortly before PATRIOT’s planned unveiling. That move pulled attention away from PATRIOT almost instantly, and its price fell even further as Trump’s official coin gained momentum.
While the Trump family publicly distanced itself from PATRIOT, Trump himself still promoted the project at times, including sharing links related to it on conservative media. That kept the coin in the spotlight, even as its value continued to sink.
Now, despite the financial mess, the statue is still expected to get an official unveiling at Trump’s Doral resort. Trump has reportedly shown interest in attending, though no date has been announced.
Meanwhile, Cottrill is still waiting to be fully paid, and the project’s backers continue to promote PATRIOT online, hoping the statue’s size, shine, and spectacle might spark one last wave of attention.
What started as a bold crypto play has turned into something else entirely. Today, “Don Colossus” stands less as a symbol of wealth or victory—and more as a reminder of how strange the crossover between politics, crypto, and celebrity culture has become.
At this point, it looks less like a tribute… and more like a monument to memecoins themselves.
